Indiana Jones 5 Will Hit Theatres July 19, 2019 !

It's official: the Indiana Jones 5 will be released on July 19, 2019!
"Indiana Jones will return to the big screen on July 19, 2019, for a fifth epic adventure in the blockbuster series. Steven Spielberg, who directed all four previous films, will helm the as-yet-untitled project with star Harrison Ford reprising his iconic role. Franchise veterans Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall will produce."

Picture: copyright Lucasfilm

Fun Indiana Jones Trilogy Artwork by Dave Perillo

Artist Dave Perillo has created great pieces of movie art, and these three were inspired by Steven Spielberg's Indiana Jones trilogy. I hope you'll enjoy their fun style! if you like them you can order prints for $50 right HERE.

 

Artwork: copyright Dave Perillo

Rare Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark Making-Of

I found a fantastic video for you, a rare making-of of Indiana Jones Raiders of the Lost Ark!
this making-of was a PBS special back in the 80's and include many rare footage never seen before. And it's fascinating to watch Spielberg directing one of the best adventure movie of all time!





Below, two others original posters for Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Pictures and video: copyright Paramount Pictures

Will Indiana Jones Adventure be build at Disneyland Paris ?

This is THE attraction that will be such an instant hit at Disneyland Paris that it could boost the park attendance like Space Mountain did, back in 1995: Indiana Jones Adventure and the temple of the forbidden eye. All DLP fans know that the room to built it was kept in Adventureland, but the hope to see it built for real is vanishing...

As you will see on the document below, WDI Imagineers not only have think about bringing IJA at DLP, but already did some blueprints. Although this one was probably done many years ago, when the park will decide to built the ride - translate: when they will have the money to do it - you can be sure that all DLPI imagineers will be happy to create this beloved attraction at DLP.

To say the truth, all Imagineers that i've met since twenty years agree that bringing Indiana Jones Adventure at DLP will not only be one of the best choice - in terms of popular attraction - that DLP management could make, but also that it will be an instant hit among DLP visitors. And they're right, but the main problem is... the price : Indiana Jones Adventure is not only a very expensive attraction but also - and this is an important point - the maintenance cost of the attraction is very high, too. And i remind you that maintenance costs at DLP are already very high. How much would be the cost to build Indiana Jones Adventure ? Frankly, i don't know the real price but probably close to $200 M, now.

To come back to the document below, you will see that the building envisioned for Indiana Jones Adventure will take a big part of the land still available in Adventureland, with its back walls close to the Pirates of Caribbean building. The ride entrance will be through another small temple - like in Anaheim - located in front of the "Temple du péril".



To give you a better idea, here is a satellite view of the park with the blueprint upon it, and it's more easy to locate exactly where will be what, if someday the ride is built.



When i've posted this article for the first time six years ago, i was saying: "Later this month another big E-ticket will open at the Walt Disney Studios : the Tower of terror. Although the TOT is cheaper than Indiana Jones Adventure, for DLP its cost is really important. So don't expect another big E-ticket before the 20th anniversary in 2012. But if DLP management want to do a good choice for this future celebration, "Indiana Jones Adventure and the temple of the forbidden eye" will not only be a good one, but simply the BEST choice they could make".

We're now in 2013, DLP Disneyland Park didn't received a major E-Ticket ride since Space Mountain in 1995 - and none in 2012 - and i'm afraid we'll have to wait a long time before eventually getting Indiana Jones Adventure at DLP Adventureland. But what i was saying in 2007 - "Indiana Jones Adventure and the temple of the forbidden eye" will not only be a good choice, but simply the BEST choice they could make" is still valid.

Photos and document : copyright Disney

Disneyland Indiana Jones Adventure Making of

I'll be back tomorrow with a new DLP update and the latest shots of the ratatouille construction but in the meanwhile here is a great making-of of the best Indiana Jones attraction in the world - Indiana Jones Adventure "Temple of the Forbidden Eye" at Disneyland! This video was released when the ride opened at Disneyland in 1995 and two actors of the original Indy movies - John Rhys-Davies and Karen Allen - are playing in it!




Picture and video: copyright Disney

Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular Behind the Scenes

Who don't love the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular stunt show? Great stunts and explosions recreate famous scenes from Raiders of the Lost Ark, and recentlycDisney Parks released a short "behind the scenes" video. Here is is!




Video: copyright Disney

Discover a Pure Adventureland Dream !

In a previous life i was a photographer and i did dozen of special reports all around the world, mainly in "real Adventureland" locations. Whether it was inside the South-East Asia jungles or old temples or the tumbs of old Pharaohs in the Egyptian desert i've spent many years shooting pictures of amazing sites. And the good news is that i've decided to share these pictures with the rest of the world through great applications for the Apple iPhone, IPad or iPod Touch called "Asia Treasures", a journey through Asia's historical masterpieces. The first app to be released is all about a fantastic and not-so-known archeological place in Burma called Bagan.



Located 500km north of Rangoon and in the Mandalay division, Bagan is truly a magical place and a pure « Indiana Jones » dream: over 25 square miles, more than 2000 temples, pagodas and stupas of all sizes – some as high as cathedrals – standing in the plain and on the banks of the Irrawaddy river! If someday you'll make the trip to Bagan you won’t be disappointed. Above and below, some pictures to introduce this Asia Treasures - Bagan application (Please note that the pictures of the App - others than the Introduction pictures below - have no text written on them).



Created in 849 with the union of 19 villages, Bagan is, in fact, the old capital of the kingdom of Pagan, which was destroyed by Mongols in 1287. The site, as big as the one in Angkor, has been damaged by earthquakes many times, and some tourism developments prevented the site of Bagan to be part of Unesco’s World Heritage sites.



At the time of its splendor (1044-1287), half a million of inhabitants were living in the first Burmese Empire capital. Most of the buildings made fromwood are not there anymore, but Bagan, close to the Irrawaddy river, is a stunning archeological site and a witness to a strong Buddhist tradition. There are so many Buddha statues on Bagan’s site that it’s seemingly impossible to count them all! Bagan is definitely a not-to-be-missed site if someday you travel in south-East Asia.



Those of you who own an iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch will find the app in the iTunes Appstore under the name "Asia Treasures Bagan". The link to the iPhone version of the app is HERE and the one for the iPad version of the app is HERE. One more thing: the app cost only $0.99 - or 0.79€ - which makes it affordable for everyone, a very reasonable price to discover a pure Adventureland dream.

This App is also perfect to prepare a trip in Asia, for art lovers, or for anyone who wants to discover places of amazing beauty through hundreds of HD pictures. And if you are a WDI Imagineer, this app is full of great pictorial infos which can be helpful for an "Adventureland" design!



Here is some technical infos about the app as well as the app iTunes icon:



Asia Treasures - Bagan include seven chapters:

- Bagan Temples
- New bagan Village
- Irrawaddy River
- Bagan People
- Bagan Hotel
- Thanatar Gate Hotel
- Old Maps



App Features:

- Hundreds of HD pictures and text in English or French

- Wikipedia links for each picture for more infos on each chapter

- Menu for instant access to each chapter

- Image gallery to select pictures of a chapter

- Maps of Burma and Bagan

- Selection of favorite pictures

- A special "How to go?" section with travel infos and a selection of best hotels

- Slide show mode

Asia Treasures - Bagan is available HERE and HERE on the U.S Apple Appstore and is also available in others Appstore of your own country under the name "Asia Treasures Bagan".



Hope you'll enjoy the app! Thanks for your support!

All pictures: copyright Park Lane Editions

Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril : Grand Opening Video Plus : The Secret of the Second Temple

When Indiana Jones et le Temple du Péril had its Grand Opening at Disneyland Paris July 30, 1993, the least we can say is that the weather - or the gods? - were not on the side of Georges Lucas and Philippe Bourguignon, at that time DLP CEO. An incredible storm happened during the opening celebration with such heavy rains that Lucas probably still remember it.

DLP Youtube channel had the good idea to put online recently the video of this Grand Opening, so those of you who were not there will be able to see this memorable celebration.





Those of you who have been to DLP know that there is only ONE temple in the Indy attraction but, as reproduced page 138 of my Disneyland Paris book, a WDI rendering of the Temple of péril on the top of that page show TWO temples instead of one. Does this means that WDI originally envisioned to build two temples instead of one only?



As two temples are indeed clearly visible on that rendering it's because WDI imagineers did envisioned to build two temples. However, it seems that it is only after the opening of the first temple that they began to really work on a new temple addition. Why? because from the day Georges Lucas opened officially the attraction the ride was an instant hit but had a big hour capacity problem. And of course, the best way to resolve this problem would have been to build...a second temple!

So, in Glendale, Imagineers thought seriously about building another temple and a model was built. The new temple would have joined the first temple at a 90 degrees angle. Imagine a "L" letter upside down, the vertical part of the letter being the first temple and the horizontal part being the new temple. However, there would have been no link between the two coaster tracks. Instead, the imagineers had designed two totally different coaster tracks for both temples, with the possibility for the guests to board either the first or the second temple.

Another interesting point in this second temple that never was concept was that WDI imagineers were not sacrifying the space to eventually build the big Indiana Jones Aventure ride in the future. In fact, if my memory is right, one of the "towers" of the second temple would have been the entrance for the future Indiana Jones Adventure attraction.

As we know this second temple was never built and the main reason why, as usual with DLP, was - guess what? - money! At the end of the 1990's Disneyland Paris was in serious trouble financially speaking and the park's management choose the option to add capacity with more seats for each train. They also choose to have the ride going "backward", and indeed it was much cheaper to turn each train than to build a brand new "old" temple!

Is there any luck to see this second temple built in the future? Frankly, i wouldn't bet on it, but who knows, as they say at WDI, "a good idea never die"!

Artwork: copyright Disney Enterprises Inc

Picture and video: copyright Disneyland paris

When Indiana Jones Adventure will be build at Disneyland Paris ?

This is THE attraction that everybody is waiting for at DLP Magic Kingdom: Indiana Jones Adventure and the temple of the Forbidden Eye. Any DLP fans knows that the land to built the attraction is kept in Adventureland but they are waiting for the attraction since so many years that the hope to see it built some day is vanishing...

As you will see on the document below, WDI imagineers not only envisioned to build IJA at DLP, but they also did blueprints. Although this blueprint was probably done many years ago, when the park will finally decide to built the attraction - translate: when they will have the money to build it - you can be sure that WDI imagineers will be happy to bring this beloved attraction at DLP.

To tell the truth, all the WDI Imagineers that i've met agree on the fact that bringing Indiana Jones Adventure at DLP will be not only one of the best choice that DLP management could make, but also that it will be an instant hit among DLP visitors.
Yes, but...there is two problems: the first one is the price: Indiana Jones Adventure is a VERY expensive attraction to build, and the second problem is the maintenance cost of the attraction which is very high, too. And, as maintenance costs at DLP are already very high DLP execs are of course trying to avoid to increase them.

How much is the cost of Indiana Jones Adventure, you ask? Frankly, i don't know the real numbers, but not less than 150 millions of dollars, and probably more now. As i think that DLP is paying at WDI the new attractions in dollars, and although the change rate between the dollar and the euro changed the last two years, it's still a pretty good deal for the park's management to order at WDI an Indiana Jones Adventure. Of course, even with the favorable change IJA is still a very expensive ride but it would be so popular...

Anyway, let's come back to the document below where you will see that the facility envisioned for Indiana Jones Adventure at DLP's Adventureland will take a big part of the land still available, with its back wall close to the Pirates of Caribbean building. It seems, too, that the entrance will be through another small temple located in front of the "Temple du péril".



To give you a better idea, here is a satellite view of the park with the blueprint upon it. It's more easy to locate exactly where will be what, if some day the park build Indiana Jones Adventure.



Let's talk a bit now about the maintenance problem and, as you will see, it might give us an idea of when the attraction could be build. One the main maintenance problem have always been the IJA vehicles. Whether it's at Disneyland or at Disney Sea (where, i think, the cars are electric) they always had problems with them. I mean, real problems almost every day. Which means lot of (expensive) maintenance.

So, where is the solution? Well, you see, when Cars Land will open next year at DCA not only Radiator Springs Racer will be a major E-Ticket ride but the ride vehicle system invented by WDI will be a brand new one. AND, from what i've been told, IF this new ride system proves to be more reliable - and with less maintenance than IJA vehicles - THEN it will be envisioned again to bring Indiana Jones Adventure to DLP - and even to HKDL.

Knowing that Cars Land will open in 2012 and that they will need more or less one year to be sure that the new ride system is more reliable it would mean that no decision to "import" IJA at DLP will happen before 2013. Considering that WDI Imagineers needs two years to build Indiana Jones Adventure you'll understand that you better don't expect an Indiana Jones Adventure opening at DLP before 2015 - and this if DLP management takes his decision in 2013, which is not guaranteed.

I agree that there is a lot of "IF" in all this, but i wanted to explain to you in detail where is the problem - and where is the hope - so you won't waste your time waiting at DLP for this beautiful attraction before 2015 at the earliest.

Photos and document : copyright Disney

A Disney MGM Studios celebration - Part Three - The Great Movie Ride original artwork and behind the scenes pictures

Hello, here is part three of this Disney MGM Studios series, and, as promised, the article is about the Great Movie ride with original artwork and great behind the scenes photos of imagineers at work.

Above is the artwork for something that was probably a mural painting, and below a rendering of the Chinese Theatre area.



Another one of the Hollywood Boulevard with the Chinese Theatre in the background.



Here is a rare rendering for the Singing in the rain scene.



And of course, this one is for the John Wayne scene.



Below is the artwork for the gangsters scene. Imagineer Pat Burke remember: I was with another Imagineer named Malcolm when we were looking for the Gangster shoot out cars and found them. Malcolm needed some vintage gangster cars for the shootout scene. I took him to our big 12 mile walking Pomona auto meet. There we found a restored Chevy which the owner was so proud of with its new paint and mow hair interior like original. When he found out it would be in a Disney show in Florida he was so excited. He said he would bring his family down to see and visit it in its new home. He didn't know we would have to shoot it with many bullet holes for the scene. We trailered it out to the Highway Patrol to register it and mentioned the needed bullet holes. They said if we moved it out back to their firing range they would shoot it up with an old Tommy gun they had. We did so, and they shot it up as promised. I don't know if the previous owner ever went to WDW to see it?



And this is the rendering for the final Wizard of Oz scene.



Before we have a look to some behind the scenes pictures, here is a great story told to me by a friend imagineer about the "Casablanca" scene of the ride, and more specifically about the real plane one can see in the decor:
"The Casablanca scene has the real Casablanca Lockheed Electra plane used in the movie - and the tail section is in the WDW Jungle Cruise. The plane was located by Malcolm Cobb of WDI/ California, in Texas. Malcolm got the Lockheed registry of all the planes and their history and present owners and set out looking. On this Texas plane, no one had any idea it was the real plane until they ran its serial numbers and found it had been registered to the movie studio that made the film at that time. This was done after the purchase was completed. When Malcolm found it, it had been sitting for some time and not running. Another owner nearby owned three of these planes and wanted much more money for his as they were flyable. Malcolm didnt need one that flew and bought the cheapest one, being the real on. When the man who owned the three planes found out what he had missed, he was pretty upset at himself, as it had been right next to his backyard."

The first behind the scenes picture below shows an imagineer at work on the Busby Berkeley opening scene.



When we think about an Indiana Jones attraction, we generally think about Indiana Jones Adventure, or the Epic stunt spectacular, or the Temple du péril but we often forget that there is a great Indy scene in the Great Movie ride! Here, one imagineer is at work on one of the giant Anubis statues.



Other imagineers at work in the same room.



Final touch to the Ark of the Covenant scene.



Inside WDI workhouse, an imagineer measuring the beautiful Ark of the Covenant replica.



Putting in place the Egyptian mummies...



Final touch on the same mummies...



Almost cheek to cheek between a beautiful imagineer and a quite well done mummy...



No, it's not Tarzan and Jane, but two imagineers at work on the vegetation of the Tarzan scene.




And for those of you living outside the U.S who never had the luck to ride the Great Movie Ride, here is the video of the full ride, in two parts.








All artwork and photos: copyright Disney Enterprises Inc.

Youtube video: copyright coasterimage.com

DHS Last Tour to Endor Event : Raiders of the Lost Jedi Temple of Doom Show

Kevin Yee did a brilliant article today on Mice Age, and part of it is a report of the Star Tours - Last Tour to Endor event at the Disney's Hollywood studios last week. During this celebration they did a special version of the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular show with Storm Troopers instead of Nazis soldiers! Darth Vador, Princess Leia, Darth Maul and many others Star Wars characters were also part of this surrealistic show where two universe are mixed together.

Attractions Magazine did - as usual - a very good video of the whole show. Choose to watch it in the best Youtube definition and in full screen mode, i'm sure you will enjoy it. And once you've watched the show jump on Attractions Magazine Youtube page where they have many more videos of this Star Tours event!




Video: copyright Attractions Magazine

Picture: copyright Disney

Return of the Man with the Hat ?

Hey, what about getting some news of an Indiana Jones 5? I know, i know, the number 4 was disappointing but who knows, may be they will have a great idea - and a better script - for the no 5?

And that's precisely what Georges Lucas is supposed to have. According to Harrison Ford in his latest interview on MTV last week, "Georges have a crazy idea for the Indy 5". Ooops, a "crazy" idea fom Georges Lucas is not necessarily a good news!

Anyway, have a look at this short interview in which the man with the hat tells more about his wishes for the next Indy.

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Video: copyright MTV

Picture: copyright Lucas Film

Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings

There is no new Indiana Jones movie this year, and considering the mediocre quality of the Crystal Skull it's almost a good news! However, on June 9, Lucas Arts released a brand new Indiana Jones video game called "Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings". The game is released for Nintendo Ds and Play station 2 of course, but - and that's where it becomes interesting - also for the now famous Nintendo Wii. Thanks to the Wii technology, the gamer will be able to act like Indiana Jones, and, as one of the game designer said "It's as close as you can get to be a real Indiana Jones".



The 3D animation looks fine, and especially the decors and background as you will see on the videos below. Lot of reminiscences from the Indy movies in the Indiana Jones and the Staff of Kings adventure, but that's okay, it should be fun.



As i know you like concept-arts, here are some of them in wallpaper size. More concept-arts available on the game web site HERE







This first video below is the official game trailer.



In this next video you'll see game designers explaining how it works with the Wii.



And this last one shows the first Ten Minutes of "Indiana Jones And The Staff Of Kings" in the Wii version.



And what about a new Indy movie, you ask? Well, if we consider what Shia LaBeouf recently said in an interview - later confirmed by Producer Frank Marshall - they're currently working on a script. Mmmmh...the last time i heard this from a Indy producer was 15 years ago and we had to wait almost as long to see the movie - and not a real good one. So, i'll believe it when i'll see it!

Hat Tip to Blue Sky Disney for the news!

Pictures and videos: copyright Lucas Arts